Metabolic Chemistry Analysis Center

The goal of the Stanford ChEM-H Metabolic Chemistry Analysis Center (MCAC) is to provide scientific expertise and instrumentation for the measurement of metabolites.

Metabolism is the chemical outcome of living organisms interacting with their environment. Understanding metabolism is therefore critical in many branches of biology, including drug discovery and disease pathology. However, accurate and comprehensive techniques for measurement of metabolites can be a challenge for many researchers. At the ChEM-H Metabolic Chemistry Analysis Center (MCAC), we provide scientific expertise and instrumentation for the measurement of metabolites to the ChEM-H and Stanford communities. Our center leverages expertise in mass spectrometry & allied techniques to understand the biology of small molecules – both metabolites and xenobiotics – and to apply that understanding to advances in human health.

MCAC in the News

A tale of cacao, birds and the ‘power of emerging model systems’

Working with Stanford ChEM-H's Metabolic Chemistry Analysis Center, Stanford researchers traced the genetic process through which parakeets produce either yellow or blue feathers. This work provides insights that could help scientists uncover other biochemical pathways.